Taking cognisance of the death of a tribal student in the Mamidiguda residential ashram school due to viral fever, District Collector Rahul Raj issued orders suspending the headmaster, A Ashok, on Thursday, February 29. This was informed by a report in The New Indian Express.

As per an inquiry report submitted to the collector, the deceased, Thodasam Maheshwari, had been ill since February 18, but no medical care was provided till February 24. While she was taken to the Ankoli Primary Health Centre (PHC), the Class VII student was not allowed to go home after tests were conducted.

Maheshwari was allowed to return to her home in Mangurla of Jainath mandal only a day before she passed away on February 28 (Wednesday), the report said, adding that her father took her to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad on Tuesday. She passed away early on Wednesday, February 28, it added.

Management to be blamed?
The student's family members and tribal organisation leaders staged a rasta roko on the old NH 7 road outside the hospital alleging that negligence of the school staff led to Maheshwari’s death. They also claimed that the ITDA project officer failed to monitor the schools due to which the students are suffering.